Bilge-block.



No. 704,358. Patented'luly 8, I902.

J. MGCULLDUGH.

BlLGE BLOCK (Application flied Nov. 14, 1901.)

(llo Model.)

MW n wm wm W H WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE:

JAMES MCCULLOUGH, OF ROSEBANK, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOHMIDT-PERRINMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF JERSEY'OITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEYVJERSEY.

BlLGE-BLQCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,358, dated July 8,1902.

Application filed November 14,1901. Serial No. 82,199. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MoOULLoUeH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Rosebank, in the county of Richmond and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bilge-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain simple and easily constructed andoperated bilge-blocks.

upon which vessels may be supported when removed from the water forrepairs or otherwise.

The object of my invention is to provide a self-adjusting hearing orblock that will conform to the bilge of a vessels bottom when thevesselis removed from the water and form a solid foundation for thevessel to rest upon and prevent damage to its hull.

When a vessel is'removed from the water, it is necessary to have it restsecurely upon blocks that bear uniformly at numerous points and conformwith the various curves of its bottom. Should one of these bearings beout of place or present an edge and the vessel rest upon it beforemeeting the other bearings, there is great danger of staving a hole inthe vessels bottom. By my invention I obviate all such danger and assurea solid foundation that will always present'a flat surface to thevessels hull and conform to each and all curves upon the hull.

In the drawings which form part of this specification, Figure 1represents diagrammatically a mid-ship section of a vessel re moved fromthe water and resting upon my improved bilge-blocks. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, partly in section, of 'the complete block in position on adock-timber; and Fig. 3 is an end view of same, the dock-timber being insection on the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The bilge-block comprises the upper tiltable block or section A, theintermediate adjustable section B, and the lower supportingsection 0,which rests upon the dock-timber E and may be guided while moved thereonby the engagement of the guides D on said timber, with the lower boxends of the side straps S T secured to the opposite sides of saidsection 0.

The upper block or section A is formed at its lower side with thesubstantially central curved bearing F, fitting within acorrespondingly-formed bearing-recess G in the upper surface of theintermediate section B, and said upper block or section A issubstantially of wedge shape, as shown, while the upper surface of theintermediate section B to one side of the recess G is inclined, as at H,and at the other side of said recess G is substantially fiat, as at I.The block or section Ais capable of a tilting or rocking motion on theintermediate section B by reason of the shape of the facing surfaces ofsaid sections, said section A, while having its tilting or rockingaction, being supported and guided by the constant engagement of thecurved bearing F with the walls of the recess G. The block A is furthermaintained in position upon the intermediate section B by means of theside bars J, secured to said section B, and the pin K, which passesthrough the upper ends of said bars J and also through the block orsection A, wherein said pin K may act as an axis for the block A.

The upper block or section A has by means of the curved bearing F asubstantial support within the recess G and when in its severalpositions is prevented by the walls of the said recess from sliding offfrom the intermediate section B.

In the drawings I illustrate the upper block or section A in a tilted orinclined position adapted to the outline of the vessel representeddiagrammatically in Fig. 1, and when the block or section A is thus in atilted position it will be observed that the weight of the vessel isexerted on a line through the bearing F, whereby the force exerted bythe vessel is directed centrally of the bilge-block. The inclinedsurface H of the intermediate block or section B permits of a liberalextent of tilting action in the upper block or section A, while thehorizontal surfaceI of the intermediate section B, substantiallycorresponding with the adjacent lower surface of the upper block orsection A, furnishes a firm bearing-surface for the outer portion of thesaid block or section Awhen the latter is not required to be placed in atilted position, as when the bilge-block is under a less inclined partof the vessel, so that the surface I of the block B and the adjoiningsurface of the block A may come together.

At its lower side the intermediate section B is at one end formed withthe curved hearing M and at its other end with the groove N, and at itsupper surface the base-section O is formed with the curved-bearingrecess 0 to receive the said curved bearing M and at its other end withthe recess R, which matches the recess N in the intermediate section B,so that said recesses N R are adapted to receive the wedge Q, by whichto adjust the position of the intermediate section B. The recess N hasan inclined surface to conform to the upper face of the wedge Q, and thewedge Q is of such size that when driven endwise into the recesses N Rit will force the outer end of the intermediate section B upward, sothat said section B shall stand in an inclined position, as illustratedin Fig. 2. The intermediate section B may rest fiat upon the lower orsupporting base-section C, under which condition the said section B willbe firmly supported; but the entire tilting or adjust ing action of thebilge-block to the surfaces of the vessel will then depend wholly uponthe upper block or section A. It is desirable that a part of theadjustment of the bilgeblock to the vessel may be accomplished byinclining to a greater orless extent the intermediate block or sectionB, and this adjustment of the intermediate block or section B isaccomplished by the wedge Q and the facing surfaces of the grooves orrecesses N R. The curved bearing M of the intermediate section B affordsvery convenient and secure means, in connection with the recess 6), forpermitting the tilting or adjusting of the intermediate section B, andwhen the section B is in an inclined or tilted position the curvedbearing M is securely held within the recess 0 and supports one end ofthe section B, while the other end of the said section is firmlysupported upon the wedge Q. As a further means for securing theintermediate section B upon the base-section O, I provide a rod P, whichpasses through the inner end of the said section B and is held withinthe upper ends of the straps-S, the latter extending upward uponopposite sides of the inner end of the block B to receive said rod P andalso to afford means for preventing any lateral displacement'of thebearing M from the recess 0.

The bilge-block as a whole is mounted upon the dock-timber E, the uppersurface of said timber being flat to correspond with the lower surfaceof the supporting or base section 0 of the bilge-block. The dock-timberE is provided at opposite sides with the guiding ribs or beams D, andwhen the bilge-block is in position the lower portions of the straps S Tare upon the upper, outer, and lower surfaces of said guides D and serveto prevent any lateral displacement of the bilge-block and also tosecurely hold said block down upon the dock-timber E, as well as toafiord means for guiding the bilge-block along the dock-timber I whensaid block is moved toward or from its operative position.

When a vessel is removed from the water, the keel meets the keel-blocksfirst,and as soon as they touch one another the bilge-blocks are drawnalong the dock-timbers E by ropes or otherwise until the upper blocks orsec tions A come into contact with the hull. As the blocks or sections Aare pivotally mount ed by means of the bearings F and recesses G, thecontinued pull upon the bilge-blocks will cause the upper sections orblocks A to tilt until they become tangent to the curve of the hull, andthe upper central portion of the surfaces of the blocks or sections Athen form solid foundations for the support of the vessel. As the vesselgradually settles upon the keel-blocks the bilge-blocks are drawn up tothe hull and receive the vessel upon a perfectly fitting support.

It will be seen that when the upper blocks or sections A of thebilge-blocks meet the ves sel they will tilt from a substantiallyhorizontal to an inclined position and automatically adapt themselves tothe curve of the vessels hull. WVhenever necessary in order to adapt theblocks to the shape of a vessel, the intermediate section B may beinclined as much as desired by means of the wedges Q, so that the upperblock or section A may assume when drawn to the vessel a much greater inclination than would be possible if the lower surface of theintermediate section B were resting fiat upon the upper surface of thesupporting or base section Ci 7 WVhile repairing a vessel it is oftennecessary to remove one of the bilge-blocks in order to get at thesurface covered by such block, and in carrying out this operation thebilge-block may be quickly released from the vessel by simply drivingout the wedge Q, whereby the intermediate block or section B is allowedto settle upon the base or supporting section (J, and the pressure ofthe vessel is removed from the upper block or section A, thus taking theweight of the vessel entirely off of the bilge-block and allowing thelatter to be moved outward upon the docktimber E with ease. Whenreplacing the bilge-block, it may be moved into contact with the vesseland the wedge Q then driven back into place until the proper straincomes upon the upper block or section A.

It will be observed that the upper surface of the inner end of the upperblock or section A is curved or rounded, and this is for the purpose ofcausing said end of the block or section A to freely slide on thesurface of the hull of the vessel until said block A assumes its properinclined position to receive the vessel upon its flat surfaces.

clining and maintaining in an inclined posi- 1 tion said intermediatesection B, substantially as set forth.

2. A bilge-block comprising the tiltable uppersection A, theintermediate section B, and the lower or supporting section 0, saidsection A having the central curved bearing F to engage thebearing-recess G in the inter mediate section B, and said section Bhaving at its inner end the curved bearing M to engage the recess 0 inthe base-section 0, combined with a wedge intermediate the outer ends ofsaid sections B, 0, said sections B, 0, being respectively provided withthe grooves N, R, to receive said wedge; substantially as set forth.

3. A bilge-block comprising the tiltable up per section A, theintermediate section B and the lower section 0, said section A beingsubstantially of wedge outline and centrally pivotally supported uponthe section B, the upper surface of said section B being at its innerend inclined so as to permit of the automatic tilting action of thesection A and also to receive the lower surface of the inner end of thesection A when necessary upon a sufficient inclination of said sectionA, combined with means hinging the inner end of the section B, and meansfor elevating and permitting the lowering of the outer end of saidsection B; substantially as set forth.

at. In a bilge-block the upper section A of wedge outline and having atthe central part of its lower surface the curved bearing F, combinedwith the section B having in the central portion of its upper surfacethe bearing-recess G to receive said bearing F, and also having at theinner side of said recess G the inclined surface H and at the other sideof said recess the substantially horizontal surface I, whereby the outerend of said block or section A may when said section is in asubstantially horizontal position, find a firm support upon said surfaceI, and when said section is tilted to its other extreme the inner end ofsaid block A may find a firm bearing upon said inclined surface H, andwhereby also when said block A is tilted in any of its intermediatepositions, it will find a firm support through the bearing F upon thewalls of the recess G 5 substantially as set forth. I Signed at NewYork, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day ofApril, A. D. 1901.

JAMES MOOULLOUGH. \Vitnesses:

F. S. PERRIN, GEO. S. SCOFIELD.

